The Hero of Twilight and a Cup of Tea
by Running Ninja
Summary: Link goes into Castletown for some tea and to catch up with an old friend.


**Tea: A Project for Ginny Because She is a Beautiful Person**

Link strode through castle town, his eyes scrolling over the sloping shop fronts and balconies peering into the square over the central fountain. He hadn't been able to drop into town for a while, he'd been too occupied with the miscellaneous missions that were left to Hyrule's Hero after all threat of twilight had been dispelled. He walked beneath the great fountain, which misted cool air across the square, making the area a popular lounging place during the summer. Children would play tag amid the tangles of legs bunched by the pool gossiping and fetching water.

But it wasn't summer today. It was early spring, and fresh dew misted the grass each morning, and you could still see your breath after the sun went down. The dome of the sky was like the underside of an oyster shell, smooth, silver and marbled, mother of pearl watching with ominous grace.

With a wave Link greeted a few familiar faces, but he continued winding his way through the crowd. He turned down a side street only to find it crowded with the usual Saturday stalls, delicate wares bartered beneath the heavy sky.

Was it Saturday? Link stopped to think. It must have been, he figured, but he'd gotten in late to his quarters in the castle the night before, and he hadn't paid the date any attention and simply slid himself into a nice hot bath and a freshly made bed, a wonderful change from the side of the road.

He picked his way among the customers to all the stalls, hearing prices called into the crowd, whirling in the air to a market's cacophony. He smiled to himself, his chest blooming with joy as he spotted a little girl handed a trinket by a little boy, her face lighting up like Christmas. A tiny wish stirred in him at her smile. _If only_, he thought, turning to scan the crowd and the stalls.

And then he spotted it. Trying his best not to be rude he worked his way through the crowd to a pottery stall to bargain for a teapot in the shape of an owl.

"How much?" he asked.

The clerk laughed at his choice of merchandise. "Oh, how's 30 rupees?" she smiled.

"30 rupees is great," Link answered, scooping the amount from his wallet and handing them to the girl, who bowed. "May you be blessed," she added politely, recognizing his clothing as one that indicated he was associated with the Knights.

"And you," he bowed in return, taking the teapot delicately, finding some cloth to wrap it in as he tucked it into his bag. Link then continued to push through the mass of people, his newest companion carefully nestled at his side.

He turned down another, slightly narrower, street, sighing and glad to be out of that thick of shoppers. As much as he liked people, Link was most in his element when not apologizing for every step he took.

The Hero scrolled his azure gaze along this line of shops. The fortuneteller, Agitha's place, ah, here it was.

Upon stepping in Link entered a world steeped in the aromas of paradise. Jasmine, orange blossoms, and an overwhelming sense of home pervaded the air. Link closed the door behind him and leaned against it and just breathed, inhaling rooibos laced with lemon and the chocolate, malty scent of black tea swirling amid chai. When he opened his eyes, the girl at the counter was trying not to laugh.

"I swear this is what Valhalla smells like," he said, grinning right back. "What do you have brewing?"

"Green tea with jasmine," she smiled again, "I was hoping you'd drop by."

Link grinned. "I always thought it was strange, how tea can represent the comforts of solitude and the pleasure of company, all at the same time."

The teashop girl smiled again, "and how a teapot can appear tranquil as a forest while on fire within," she laughed, "It's good to have you back, Link."

"It's good to be back," he returned, "And I brought you something."

Her eyebrows arched, intrigued. "Oh?"

"Yep," he gingerly hoisted his latest, and oh-so-wise compatriot, Samson, moving forward to set him on the counter, obscured by his wrappings.

Chai, as Link had taken to calling the girl, couldn't stop smiling as she delicately unfolded Mr. Owl.

"Where on earth did you find this?!" she exclaimed, "It's adorable!"

"I just saw him while walking past here—"

"Him?"

"…yeah…"

Chai snorted.

"Well, come on," Link said, "you have to admit—"

But she waved him off, and with yet another grin he followed her back behind the shop, where they entered yet another wall of scents, this time twice as rich, emanating from the leaves and bits of sweet-smelling flowers or fruits drying along the walls or growing in pots.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your defense of the owl teapot's masculinity, but it's tea time."

"Is it ever not tea time for you?" Link asked.

"No, not really. I like it that way," she poured two cups of green tea into mismatched china. "Running a teashop is like having permission to be perpetually poetic, philosophical, and pondering."

Link nodded, sipping his tea as he paused for thought, appreciating the leafy green undertones accented by sweet rooibos and jasmine. Link quite loved this mix, and he had no idea how he'd previously survived without it. Was there life before there was tea?

"Tea is liquid courage," Link mused.

"I thought that was whiskey."

"Okay, yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. That or fermented red potion, that stuff can get surprisingly alcoholic."

"Yeah, Link, you really shouldn't be drinking that. You really shouldn't consider drinking that, if it's old enough to make you drunk."

"Well, not drunk, just a bit less careful."

"And in life and death situations, I'm sure that's exactly what you want to do."

"But remember, Chai, if I was drinking a healing potion I was clearly already dying, so it balances out."

"No, because you could have replaced the fermented potion for a new bottle. And then we'd all be happy."

"Everyone except my wallet. And maybe me, because liquor takes the edge of pain."

"I'm pretty sure that's the medicine," Chai said, watching her tea, "Red potion contains painkillers, after all."

Link shrugged. "It's not like I ever asked what they put in it."

Chai gave him a look of complete please-don't-tell-me-you-just-admitted-that.

"I did just admit it, Chai. And we all know it's true."

"Maybe for you, but I like to know what I'm eating. Or drinking," she took another long sip.

"Whatever you put in this stuff," Link began, "when I drink your tea….it's like…it's like I see the world, with it winds and it's whirls, and I feel undefeated."

"Well, Link, not to be blunt, but as the Hero of Hyrule, you have every right to feel undefeated. Because you won."

"I'd like to think I'm not that full of myself."

"We all would," Chai said ambiguously. She could moody sometimes. Link wondered if it was the caffeine. But on the counter, across from him, the owl was watching. It stared with beady porcelain eyes and it never blinked. Never. It didn't even have eyelids.

"I'm going to deliver that owl to your room," Link said unceremoniously.

Chai watched him quizzically as he swept up the teapot and ascended the windy staircase to deliver something to her room. The something that was a teapot in the shape of an owl.

When he returned, he returned to his cooled tea and swallowed it in one gulp, washing down his awkward reenactment of creepy men delivering things to his room at the beginning of the game with some liquid courage.

"I think I've figured it out," Chai said.

"Figured what?"

"Well, I was here with my tea, and I've got it," Chai began, "This is how it works: you're young until you're not, you love until you don't, you try until you can't, you laugh until you cry, you cry until you laugh, and everyone must breathe until their dying breath."

Link shook his head and set down the empty teapot, "No, this is how it works: you peer inside yourself, you take the things you like, and try to love the things you took. And then you take that love you made and stick it into someone else's heart, pumping someone else's blood, and walking arm in arm, you hope it don't get harmed, but even if it does you'll just do it all again."

Chai nodded after listening to Link's words. "Because, as long as there's tea in the universe, we have a "just add water" solution to all sorts of problems, including English subway bombings."

Link stared at his empty teacup. Why must these things end? he wondered.

"I really hope there's tea in Nirvana," he said.

"Nirvana isn't a place, idiot."

"Well, then I hope there's tea when Nirvana."

"…That's even worse."

* * *

AN: I OWN NOTHING. Credits below.

"I always thought it was strange, how tea can represent the comforts of solitude and the pleasure of company, all at the same time." Slightly changed from its original form, I got this from , was signed by "Anonymous". Anonymous, you rock.

Songs credits: I'll Make a Man Out of You from Mulan; Protons, Neutrons, Electrons, by the Cat Empire; and On the Radio by Regina Spektor. There is also a heavy amount of referencing to the song Ooh La La by Priscilla Ahn. This was a gift for a friend, and thus features many inside jokes, so yes, you should be confused. I do not own the Legend of Zelda or the character of Link or the setting of Castletown.


End file.
